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The Latest: Greitens’ Lawyers Want Open Impeachment Process

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Latest on the trial of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):

5 p.m.

Attorneys for Gov. Eric Greteins’ office want to be able to call and publicly question witnesses during a potential impeachment process in the Missouri House.
Attorneys Ross Garber and Eddie Greim said Thursday that any impeachment proceedings should be open to the public and follow rules similar to those used in court.
They have been hired to represent the office of the governor. Greim’s law firm is being paid $340 an hour and Garber is getting $320 an hour from taxpayer funds.
The House is to convene May 18 in a 30-day special session to consider whether to impeach Greitens.
A House investigatory committee already has released reports containing allegations against Greitens of sexual misconduct and misuse of charity resources for political purposes.

Prosecutors, attorneys for Greitens and Judge Rex Burlison had planned to work through two sets of 40 prospective jurors during the first day of jury selection Thursday. They were still working on the first group at the end of the day.

Ten prospective jurors have been retained for further questioning next week. Twelve have been released, 10 of them for expressing negative views of Greitens.

Greitens is accused of taking a photo of a partially nude woman without her consent during a sexual encounter in 2015. He denies criminal wrongdoing.

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1:05 p.m.

A judge and attorneys for the prosecution and Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens are questioning prospective jurors in his felony invasion of privacy case.

Thirty-four of a group of 40 potential jurors remained Thursday morning after six had been released for hardship. Of those, five additional people were struck by the defense because they had formed negative opinions of Greitens. One questioned Greitens’ truthfulness and another was aware of discussions in the Legislature about his possible impeachment.

Three other prospective jurors were passed on without question to the next stage of questioning, which is expected to occur Monday.

Greitens is accused of taking a photo of partially nude woman without her consent during a sexual encounter in 2015. He denies criminal wrongdoing.

Judge Rex Burlison spent the first part of the morning reviewing hardships that could prevent prospective jurors from serving through the entire trial, which is expected to last through all of next week. Six of the first 40 potential jurors were released because of hardships.

Greitens is accused of taking an unauthorized photo of a woman while she was partially nude during a sexual encounter in 2015, before he was elected. He denies criminal wrongdoing.

The potential jurors also filled out questionnaires that they are expected to be asked about later.

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11 a.m.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ administration is pumping out news releases about government business as Greitens’ sits in court for the start of his criminal trial.

Greitens was at the St. Louis courthouse Thursday for jury selection in his trial on an invasion of privacy charge stemming from an extramarital affair.

Back in the state capital of Jefferson City, his administration released a proclamation that he had signed previously declaring Friday as “Public Service Recognition Day.”

His Department of Revenue also released an update on the speed at which it’s been processing income tax refunds. The agency said it’s been completing the task in an average of just under 10 days, which it said is better than last year’s average of nearly 19 days at the same point in time.

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9:05 a.m.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has arrived at a St. Louis courthouse for the first day of jury selection in his felony invasion of privacy trial.

Greitens is accused of taking an unauthorized photo of a woman while she was partially nude during a sexual encounter in 2015, before he was elected.

Jury selection is expected to start Thursday morning and last at least two days. Testimony is scheduled to begin Monday.

Greitens arrived in a car with darkened windows and entered the courthouse through a controlled entryway.

Greitens has acknowledged the affair. He’s refused to say whether he took the photo. He calls the charge a “witch hunt.”

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12:30 a.m.

Jury selection is set to begin in Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’ felony invasion of privacy trial.
Greitens is accused of taking an unauthorized photo of a woman while she was partially nude during a 2015 sexual encounter, before he was elected.

Jury selection is expected to start Thursday morning and last at least two days. Testimony is scheduled to begin Monday.

Prosecutors say Greitens violated state law that prohibits taking an unauthorized photo of someone in a full or partial state of nudity. They’re expected to argue that taking such a photo with a cellphone involves transmission of the photo, from pixels to memory card, which is a felony.

Greitens has acknowledged the affair. He’s refused to say whether he took the photo. He calls the charge a “witch hunt.”